I don't get these bumps often but when I do it is sooo frustrating. I've read the blame put on so many different things like using a wire cutter, palm oil, improper stick blending, melting butters improperly, etc. but have never been able to rule out or find the culprit when it does happen to me. We need Kevin to do an experiment for us LOL :crazy:
Swirl Critique, Please
- Thread starter Taffylyon10
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I use a wire cutter for all my soaps and do not have this problem, even with soft soaps. I am still thinking maybe the stearic from the Shea that maybe did not melt well enough
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jenneelk
Well-Known Member
But the odd thing is you don't get it on the outside.. only the cut parts. I also don't know if it really can be the cutter since not all bars get it. Was thinking maybe it's a timing issue when cut? IDK. I really need to look at my recipes for similarities between those that have this.
Never had them... I don't use a wire cutter, I use a soap cutter (big blade). I've done loads of batches with shea and a few recently with palm. I usually soap at around 40C, sometimes cooler, and always seem to get a thick trace, well even if it starts thin it thickens up before I can pour while I'm messing around with other stuff! My solid oils and butters are always well melted. Not sure if any of this is remotely helpful but maybe it will help rule things out?
Taffylyon10
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Swirl Critique and mottled dots issue.
I always melt all my hard oils at a low temperature completely before adding liquid oils.
I'll go into my stash that isn't a week old and see what the center looks like. (Cut with a knife)
Definitely not the wire cutter (see photo) as the mottled dots remain throughout.
Ruling out heating oils issue
Stick Blending, possible however I did burp the blender and swished around before turning on and off.
Distilled Water, correct temperature.
I have looked on the internet for Kevin's email but can't locate it. I do think that this is a problem for many and needs to be solved.
Too many variables for the answer.
I always melt all my hard oils at a low temperature completely before adding liquid oils.
I'll go into my stash that isn't a week old and see what the center looks like. (Cut with a knife)
Definitely not the wire cutter (see photo) as the mottled dots remain throughout.
Ruling out heating oils issue
Stick Blending, possible however I did burp the blender and swished around before turning on and off.
Distilled Water, correct temperature.
I have looked on the internet for Kevin's email but can't locate it. I do think that this is a problem for many and needs to be solved.
Too many variables for the answer.
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CSL
Member
I use 40% shea butter in one of my recipes and get those white dots like you wouldn't believe. I have never ever had them in recipes without shea butter. I've also experimented with using different percentages of shea butter and it makes no difference to the amount of white dots I get or their distribution.
However, I get noticeably more when I superfat 9% than when I SF 6% (my standard), both at 25% shea butter.
I now heat the rest of the oils up and pour them into my broken up shea butter chunks and let the heat from the other oils melt the SB. It takes longer and needs more mechanical effort, though.
One of the other reasons I believe in my experiments is that at too high a temperature, certain molecules can become denatured. SB is known to have unsaponifiables and these can consist of denatured components, that are unlikely to react normally with any other substance. So by heating up SB too much, it can cause more denaturing, creating more unsaponifiables, which may appear in the form of white spots.
Like when you overheat regular butter in the microwave, it becomes kinda 'textured' and will never return to its original butter-like state, even when cooled.
A lot of the above is speculation based on experiments and theory so someone please feel free to correct me.
However, I get noticeably more when I superfat 9% than when I SF 6% (my standard), both at 25% shea butter.
I now heat the rest of the oils up and pour them into my broken up shea butter chunks and let the heat from the other oils melt the SB. It takes longer and needs more mechanical effort, though.
One of the other reasons I believe in my experiments is that at too high a temperature, certain molecules can become denatured. SB is known to have unsaponifiables and these can consist of denatured components, that are unlikely to react normally with any other substance. So by heating up SB too much, it can cause more denaturing, creating more unsaponifiables, which may appear in the form of white spots.
Like when you overheat regular butter in the microwave, it becomes kinda 'textured' and will never return to its original butter-like state, even when cooled.
A lot of the above is speculation based on experiments and theory so someone please feel free to correct me.
WallFlower
Well-Known Member
Do you melt and shake/mix your entire container of hard oils before getting some out for your soap batch?
